Sunday 07 December
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Archbishop Hits
Out At Suspension of Nicaragua Aid
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Archbishop Hits Out At
Suspension of Nicaragua
Aid
Managua - Archbishop
Leopoldo Brenes
Solorzano of Managua
criticized a decision to
suspend a US aid program
over concerns about the
results of nationwide
municipal elections.
Archbishop Brenes,
president of the
Nicaraguan bishops'
conference, warned that
suspending the poverty
reduction program would
affect the poorest
people of the nation.
"It's pathetic because
we are a poor country,
and we always need every
bit of this aid," he
said.
John Danilovich, chief
executive of the
Millennium Challenge
Corp, a US government
corporation that works
with some of the poorest
countries in the world,
ordered the agency to
re-evaluate its $175
million aid package to
Nicaragua.
"I am not satisfied that
the electoral process in
Nicaragua has been
conducted in accordance
with the principles upon
which MCC awards and
delivers grants to
reduce poverty," said Mr
Danilovich, who added
that any new
disbursements would be
suspended until further
notice.
Archbishop Brenes
previously had said
people felt defrauded by
the results of last
month’s elections, which
favoured supporters of
Nicaraguan President
Daniel Ortega.
Ortega allies were
declared winners in 94
of 146 municipalities,
including Managua and
the second-largest city,
Leon. Government
opponents claim that
results in many cities
were rigged, based on
irregularities in
tallies and the
government's exclusion
of foreign and many
local election
observers.
In responding to
Danilovich's action,
Archbishop Brenes warned
that when such aid
programs are cancelled,
people are put out of
work.
"Hopefully this will be
reconsidered, for the
good of Nicaragua and
for the families that
will be without
employment," he said. |
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